Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[mondatoo]

How are you finding the job Tom,you enjoying it ?

[RED-DOG]

How are you finding the job Tom,you enjoying it ?

It's a new experience for me, I've never had a job before.

There are bits that I don't like, (paperwork, or meetings with people who want to do the popular thing rather than the right thing) but for the most part, yes, I'm enjoying it.

[tikay]

How are you finding the job Tom,you enjoying it ?

It's a new experience for me, I've never had a job before.

There are bits that I don't like, (paperwork, or meetings with people who want to do the popular thing rather than the right thing) but for the most part, yes, I'm enjoying it.

That line is worth a little thought.

Just turned 50 years old, lived your entire life as a Gypsy, a proper Gypsy, thissing & thatting, & suddenly you are "properly" employed, are accountable to Line Managers & senior staff, are instructed to attend Meetings, wages paid into the Bank Account, da de da.

Except via Gypsy traditions, "elders" & suchlike, I doubt you have ever been accountable to anyone, parents excepted.

It must have been a quite remarkable shift of mindset. The upside, of course, is you are working to promote better conditions & understanding of the Gypsy Community, a job you would probably do for free, in fact, have been doing for many years, as has Mrs Red, too.

I'm incredibly pleased you took that job, & I think it's been really good for you. Poker can become so addictive* & consuming*, & we lose sight of the real world if we are not careful. I sense you are now far more fulfilled, & as a bonus, the few sessions of poker you do play, you enjoy much more. Less is more & all that.

* Next door, to be "on message", the phrase we are required to use, the Branding Message if you like, is "compelling".  Got that? - compelling, NOT addictive. It's all in The Message.

[RED-DOG]

How are you finding the job Tom,you enjoying it ?

It's a new experience for me, I've never had a job before.

There are bits that I don't like, (paperwork, or meetings with people who want to do the popular thing rather than the right thing) but for the most part, yes, I'm enjoying it.

That line is worth a little thought.

Just turned 50 years old, lived your entire life as a Gypsy, a proper Gypsy, thissing & thatting, & suddenly you are "properly" employed, are accountable to Line Managers & senior staff, are instructed to attend Meetings, wages paid into the Bank Account, da de da.

Except via Gypsy traditions, "elders" & suchlike, I doubt you have ever been accountable to anyone, parents excepted.

It must have been a quite remarkable shift of mindset. The upside, of course, is you are working to promote better conditions & understanding of the Gypsy Community, a job you would probably do for free, in fact, have been doing for many years, as has Mrs Red, too.

I'm incredibly pleased you took that job, & I think it's been really good for you. Poker can become so addictive* & consuming*, & we lose sight of the real world if we are not careful. I sense you are now far more fulfilled, & as a bonus, the few sessions of poker you do play, you enjoy much more. Less is more & all that.

* Next door, to be "on message", the phrase we are required to use, the Branding Message if you like, is "compelling".  Got that? - compelling, NOT addictive. It's all in The Message.

That's a pretty accurate summation Tone, but then you know me better than most.

I have to say though, life is as fulfilling as you make it, whatever you do for a living, and I did enjoy my time as a - cringe at the term, - poker pro.

[RED-DOG]

Are eels not able to be tickled like trout?

Some eels are particularly slimy Ralph, if you know what I mean.


When I was learning to grope trout, my biggest fear was accidentally grabbing an eel by mistake. They would wrap around my wrist, and I couldn't help but jump up, screaming and dancing around, trying to shake them off.

There is really no need to panic though, if you let go of them, they let go of you.

I did get used to it eventually. (Especially when I realised that the eels were less scary than the water bailiff)

If Carlsberg did insults......

After mulling, I've decided that slimy is the wrong word on this context, so going to use 'unctuous' instead.

[tikay]

Are eels not able to be tickled like trout?

Some eels are particularly slimy Ralph, if you know what I mean.


When I was learning to grope trout, my biggest fear was accidentally grabbing an eel by mistake. They would wrap around my wrist, and I couldn't help but jump up, screaming and dancing around, trying to shake them off.

There is really no need to panic though, if you let go of them, they let go of you.

I did get used to it eventually. (Especially when I realised that the eels were less scary than the water bailiff)

If Carlsberg did insults......

After mulling, I've decided that slimy is the wrong word on this context, so going to use 'unctuous' instead.

I had to google that.

characterized by excessive piousness

Wicked!

[tikay]

How are you finding the job Tom,you enjoying it ?

It's a new experience for me, I've never had a job before.

There are bits that I don't like, (paperwork, or meetings with people who want to do the popular thing rather than the right thing) but for the most part, yes, I'm enjoying it.

That line is worth a little thought.

Just turned 50 years old, lived your entire life as a Gypsy, a proper Gypsy, thissing & thatting, & suddenly you are "properly" employed, are accountable to Line Managers & senior staff, are instructed to attend Meetings, wages paid into the Bank Account, da de da.

Except via Gypsy traditions, "elders" & suchlike, I doubt you have ever been accountable to anyone, parents excepted.

It must have been a quite remarkable shift of mindset. The upside, of course, is you are working to promote better conditions & understanding of the Gypsy Community, a job you would probably do for free, in fact, have been doing for many years, as has Mrs Red, too.

I'm incredibly pleased you took that job, & I think it's been really good for you. Poker can become so addictive* & consuming*, & we lose sight of the real world if we are not careful. I sense you are now far more fulfilled, & as a bonus, the few sessions of poker you do play, you enjoy much more. Less is more & all that.

* Next door, to be "on message", the phrase we are required to use, the Branding Message if you like, is "compelling".  Got that? - compelling, NOT addictive. It's all in The Message.

That's a pretty accurate summation Tone, but then you know me better than most.

I have to say though, life is as fulfilling as you make it, whatever you do for a living, and I did enjoy my time as a - cringe at the term, - poker pro.

Spot on.

I actually think that whatever station I had in life, I could make it fulfilling, I really do. But there's no real way of knowing.

I often think of if I had to be a shelf-stacker in Tesco's - I could find ways to enjoy that, do it "just so", & be proud of how I do it.

But if it came to it that I HAD to, well I've no idea if I'd manage. But I'm pretty sure I would. Life is what we make it.

A Twitter "follower" of mine, a young man, tweeted "I'm BORED". Than, an hour later, "I'm SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO bored".

Honest to God, if he were my son, I'd tread on his head.

[RED-DOG]

Are eels not able to be tickled like trout?

Some eels are particularly slimy Ralph, if you know what I mean.


When I was learning to grope trout, my biggest fear was accidentally grabbing an eel by mistake. They would wrap around my wrist, and I couldn't help but jump up, screaming and dancing around, trying to shake them off.

There is really no need to panic though, if you let go of them, they let go of you.

I did get used to it eventually. (Especially when I realised that the eels were less scary than the water bailiff)

If Carlsberg did insults......

After mulling, I've decided that slimy is the wrong word on this context, so going to use 'unctuous' instead.

I had to google that.

characterized by excessive piousness

Wicked!

Hmmm, My definition didn't mention piousness....  perhaps 'muculent' would be better.

[tikay]

Are eels not able to be tickled like trout?

Some eels are particularly slimy Ralph, if you know what I mean.


When I was learning to grope trout, my biggest fear was accidentally grabbing an eel by mistake. They would wrap around my wrist, and I couldn't help but jump up, screaming and dancing around, trying to shake them off.

There is really no need to panic though, if you let go of them, they let go of you.

I did get used to it eventually. (Especially when I realised that the eels were less scary than the water bailiff)

If Carlsberg did insults......

After mulling, I've decided that slimy is the wrong word on this context, so going to use 'unctuous' instead.

I had to google that.

characterized by excessive piousness

Wicked!

Hmmm, My definition didn't mention piousness....  perhaps 'muculent' would be better.

How much fun can you have with a thesaurus?! GG dictionaries. I may be wrong, but I think thesaurus's are quite a recent thing, deffo don't recall them in my youth.

And whatever happened to Encyclopedia Britannica? Used to be a HUGE business.

And, quite unconnected, but "Charles Atlas"?

[TightEnd]

And whatever happened to Encyclopedia Britannica? Used to be a HUGE business.


A: The Internet


I have a mint condition full set of 1957 Enc Brit in 27 volumes plus Appendix volume. Must see what it is worth, sometime

[Karabiner]

Are eels not able to be tickled like trout?

Some eels are particularly slimy Ralph, if you know what I mean.


When I was learning to grope trout, my biggest fear was accidentally grabbing an eel by mistake. They would wrap around my wrist, and I couldn't help but jump up, screaming and dancing around, trying to shake them off.

There is really no need to panic though, if you let go of them, they let go of you.

I did get used to it eventually. (Especially when I realised that the eels were less scary than the water bailiff)

If Carlsberg did insults......

After mulling, I've decided that slimy is the wrong word on this context, so going to use 'unctuous' instead.

I had to google that.

characterized by excessive piousness

Wicked!

Hmmm, My definition didn't mention piousness....  perhaps 'muculent' would be better.

How much fun can you have with a thesaurus?! GG dictionaries. I may be wrong, but I think thesaurus's are quite a recent thing, deffo don't recall them in my youth.

And whatever happened to Encyclopedia Britannica? Used to be a HUGE business.

And, quite unconnected, but "Charles Atlas"?

Roget's Thesaurus was around when I went to school although that was obviously long after your own schooldays.

[RED-DOG]

And whatever happened to Encyclopedia Britannica? Used to be a HUGE business.


A: The Internet


I have a mint condition full set of 1957 Enc Brit in 27 volumes plus Appendix volume. Must see what it is worth, sometime

Enc Brit is sooo useful.    .....for standing on when you want to get your lappy from the top of the wardrobe.

[tikay]

Answering my own questions here, but wowzer......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica

This is even better....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Atlas

Here we have a real clue to how times have changed.......

The print advertisements

The famous Charles atlas print advertisements became iconic mostly because they were printed in so many comic books from the 1940s. The typical scenario presented a skinny young man (usually accompanied by a female companion) being threatened by a bully. The bully pushes down the "97-pound weakling" and the girlfriend joins in the derision. The young man goes home, gets angry (usually demonstrated by his kicking a chair), and sends away for the free Atlas book. Shortly thereafter, the newly muscled hero returns to the place of his original victimization, seeks out the bully, and beats him up. He is rewarded by the swift return of his girlfriend and the admiration of onlookers.

"The Insult that Made a Man out of Mac"

In this, the full-length version, the protagonist, "Mac," is accosted on the beach by a sand-kicking bully while his date watches. Humiliated, the young man goes home and, after kicking a chair and gambling a ten-cent stamp, subscribes to Atlas's "Dynamic-Tension" program. Later, the now muscular protagonist goes back to the beach and beats up the bully, becoming the "hero of the beach." His girl returns while other females marvel at how big his muscles are.

"The Insult That Turned a 'Chump' Into a Champ"

In this version, which debuted in 1941, "Joe" is at a fair with his girl when the bully (who has just shown his strength with the "Ring-the-bell" game) insults and pushes him. Joe goes home, slams his fist on the table, and orders the free Atlas book. Joe then returns to the fair, rings the bell, and pushes down the bully while his girlfriend reappears to compliment him on his new, powerful physique.

"Hey, Skinny! Yer Ribs Are Showing!"

The condensed, four-panel version stars "Joe," though it is otherwise identical to Mac's story. Instead of "Hero of the beach," the words floating above Joe's head are "What a man!"

"How Jack the Weakling Slaughtered the Dance-Floor Hog"

Another version of the ad presents a scenario in which "Jack" is dancing with his girl, Helen. They are bumped into by a bully, who comments on how puny Jack is, not even worth beating up. Jack goes home, kicks a chair, and sends away for Atlas's "free book." Later, the muscular Jack finds the bully, punches him, and wins back the admiration of Helen. This time, the words "Hit of the party" float over his head as he basks in the admiration of the other dancers.


 

[tikay]

And whatever happened to Encyclopedia Britannica? Used to be a HUGE business.


A: The Internet


I have a mint condition full set of 1957 Enc Brit in 27 volumes plus Appendix volume. Must see what it is worth, sometime

Why does that not surprise me?

It seems they only do new editions every 25 years or so, but I'd have thought in this day & age, 25 years would make them very dated. Think back 25 years, 1985, the internet was just about starting, there was little knowledge of the applications to which DNA could be used, Mobile Phones did not exist, "plastic" money & ATM's, etc,.

I'm ignoring Methusela.

[RED-DOG]

Answering my own questions here, but wowzer......

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica



 

The 'Criticisms' section is very interesting.